Spanish
powerhouse Sancho Lyttle was hailed EuroBasket Women 2013 MVP after
propelling her team to the top of the podium with a tremendous
tournament double-double. The veteran forward finished as the best
player in the competition, having accumulated a stellar 18.4 points and
11.1 rebounds per game - including a pivotal role in helping Spain take
gold in their absorbing 70-69 Final success against France. Lyttle was
also a tower of strength defensively, coming up with 2.9 steals and 1.3
blocked shots per game. She was joined in the All Tournament Team by
her colleague Alba Torrens who certainly set the tone in the decisive
game.Torrens produced a typically athletic and
all-action display, finishing her time on French soil with a team-high
16.2 points, along with 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. Read more
here.

June 30, 2013 - Final day

Spain grab Gold in dramatic blockbuster

Spain
were crowned EuroBasket Women 2013 champions for the first time in two
decades after they edged out hosts France in a breath-taking and
dramatic 70-69 blockbuster in Orchies. In another spectacular advert
for women's basketball, the tension was almost unbearable as France
tried to force overtime in the last seconds, but they could only get an
inside score from the outstanding Sandrine Gruda who had 25 points. In
a compelling game of runs, it was Spain who drew first blood when
Sancho Lyttle scored half of their points to go 14-8 ahead. Then, at
the end of the first quarter, their approach to the game was
encapsulated beautifully when the all-action Torrens grabbed a steal to
spark a fast-break, which culminated in Laia Palau gleefully hitting a
three-pointer on the buzzer. When Cindy Lima scored at the start of the
second period, it completed an 8-0 burst from Spain and better followed
when Torrens converted from deep to put her team 24-14 in front. But,
led by the classy Gruda, France came roaring back, shutting down the
Spanish offence for a full five minutes, to post a fantastic 13-0 un
which gave them the lead. Read more here.

Terrific trio take
Turkey to Bronze

A
trio of scintillating performances by the big-hitters of Turkey led
them past Serbia 92-71 to ensure they took the last spot on the podium
with a bronze medal at EuroBasket Women 2013 in Orchies. Vardarli
finished with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists. Quanitra
Hollingsworth also came up big after some indifferent displays and had
an excellent double-double of 18 points and 16 rebounds, whilst
frontcourt partner Nevriye Yilmaz weighed in with a fantastic 19
points. It was a day to forget for Serbia who were trashed 48-27 on the
glass and had to contend with Vardarli, Yilmaz and Hollingsworth
accumulating 54 points from a spectacular combined floor shooting
percentage of 73.33% Early in the third quarter, Turkish guard Birsel
Vardarli showed her class and took control of the game. She was the
instigator of a devastating 14-0 run, which took the game completely
away from Serbia. Read more here.

Time to find out who will be the EuroBasket Women
2013 Champion. In Final game at 20.00 CET, Spain will meet France. Few
hours before final game, at 17.00 CET, Serbia and Turkey will fight for
Bronze medal.

Final day schedule:

Serbia - Turkey 92-71

Spain - France 70-69

June 28, 2013 - Semifinals

Fab France extract revenge, make Final

Host
nation France made up for their semi-final loss against Turkey at
EuroBasket Women 2011 by grinding out a 57-49 success in front of a
jubilant crowd in Orchies to book a final date with Spain. There was
very little to cheer for France other than the all-important result.
However, whilst Sandrine Gruda had an off-night shooting-wise but came
up big with a terrific nine rebounds, six assists and two steals. After
ten minutes, Turkey had pulled down a meagre three defensive rebounds
and had absolutely nothing on the offensive glass whatsoever. That set
the mountain they had to climb. They also made only 1 of their first 10
attempts from the three-point line. After a severely worrying final
quarter drought for France which lasted over seven minutes and helped
Turkey get back to within two points, Sandrine Gruda got one to drop in
seriously ugly fashion off the rim. Read more here.

Spain swamp Serbia to soar into Final

Red-hot
and rampant Spain are just one final step away from topping the
EuroBasket Women 2013 podium after they preserved their unbeaten status
with a ruthless and impressive 88-69 semi-final demolition of Serbia.
Sancho Lyttle claimed her customary double-double and foraged 22 points
and 11 rebounds. Cristina Ouvina produced the best performance of her
career in a senior team vest with 19 points from eight of ten floor
shooting to go with four assists. Marta Xargay was a defensive maestro
again and also claimed 13 points. Spain shot 64.3% inside during the
first half and it left Serbia reeling. Scintillating Spain jumped all
over their opponents right from the tip-off. As soon as they opened up
with the first ten points of the game, any prospect of a shock Serbian
victory became more remote than ever. Read more here.

Time for new excitements, time for semifinals. Spain
will have to go nine games unbeaten to land gold but, standing in the
way of win number eight, is semi-final opponent Serbia, who are still
enjoying their remarkable fairytale run. Game between Spain and Serbia
will start at 17.00 CET. France and Turkey are preparing to collide
once again in a repeat of their semi-final clash two years ago at
EuroBasket Women 2011, with the fans in Orchies hoping for another
classic and dramatic showdown. This game will start at 20.00 CET.

Here is schedule for
Semifinals:

Spain - Serbia 88-69

Turkey - France 57-49

June 27, 2013 - Quarterfinals,
Day 2

Dumerc saves hosts
in epic with Sweden

Celine
Dumerc rescued France to the delight and relief of packed house in
Orchies, as the EuroBasket Women hosts won a quite breathtaking and
dramatic quarter-final clash 87-83 against a superb but crestfallen
Sweden. Dumerc wrote the headlines and deservedly so, for showing her
class and taking over the game with her late show. She finished with 16
points but Edwige Lawson had 14 points and six assists, alongside a
nice cameo by Gaelle Skrela with an efficient 13 points from five of
seven floor shooting. Sweden were sensational all night. They shot
61.5% from downtown and even out-rebounded their opponents. But, the
control and caution of the French was important. Their 20 assists stood
out. France were definitely on the rack and looking for a hero when
trailing 77-74 with just over two minutes to play. Read more here.

Turkey turn over Belarus, into semis

Turkey
are just forty minutes away from successive Eurobasket Women Final
appearances after they eventually shrugged off dogged Belarus to take a
55-41 victory and advance to the semi-finals in Orchies. In a
defensive-orientated contest, Isil Alben produced a typically smart
display and had a perfect shooting night, going four of four from the
floor. Meanwhile Ivegin was the only player in the game to make a mark
from downtown, hitting three triples in a 13 point haul. Belarus
couldn't get their perimeter game fired up and made only 15.4% from
outside whilst 20 turnovers also made it a painful night of work. There
was still the faintest chance of a turnaround for Belarus with just
under four minutes to play and down by nine points. Read more here.

Late surge takes Czechs past Italy

Czech Republic moved to the brink of a place at the FIBA World
Championship for Women next year after a late surge lifted them to a
72-68 success against Italy whose dream of playing in Turkey next year
are now over. The Italians were left floundering on the start line at
the beginning of the contest as the Czech team built up an almost
instantaneous double-digit lead at 12-2 and then put their foot the
accelerator even more. Italian head coach Roberto Ricchini admitted his
team had suffered a hangover from their quarter-final defeat. Read more
here.

Yesterday we got first two semifinalists, Serbia and
Spain. In fantastic game, Serbia wins over Italy and booked its ticket
to semifinals but earned place to World Championship 2014 as well.
Spain had no much problems against Czech Republic. Today, another two
quarterfinal games. At 17.00 CET, Turkey vs. Belarus and at 20.00 CET
France vs. Sweden.

Here is schedule for
Quarterfinals, Day 2:

Turkey - Belarus 55-41

France - Sweden 87-83

June 26, 2013 - Quarterfinals,
Day 1

Cool
heads take Spain to semis

Spain
eased into the last four of EuroBasket Women 2013 and wrapped up a FIBA
World Championship for Women spot in the process, as Alba Torrens and
Sancho Lyttle combined for 52 points in a 75-58 win against Czech
Republic. Alba Torrens exploded with 20 points inside the first 14
minutes of the game and finished with 29, whilst Sancho Lyttle
continued her impressive tournament with 23 points and 12 rebounds.
Having blown a huge first half-lead after hitting the kerb offensively,
Spain needed a lift to get themselves going again. Enter veteran
maestro Amaya Valdemoro, who hit a go-ahead three and then came up with
a hustle play in the paint late in the third quarter. It set her team
firmly back on path to victory - their seventh in as many starts. Read
more here.

On fire Serbia shock again

A storming finish by Serbia helped them take a
fifth straight win as they overcome Italy 85-79 to reach the semi-finals
of EuroBasket Women 2013 and book their place at the FIBA World
Championship for Women. It was far from convincing for Serbia, who
didn't use their superior physicality to great effect, but they came
alive in crunch time- much to the delight of Ana Dabovic. She said,
"Winning five games in a row at a major tournament tells you everything
you need to know about this team. "Italy played a really tough game,
but we always believed we would do it, even when things were difficult
for us." Whilst Serbia had shot the ball well from outside, Italy
really did shoot the lights out from the perimeter, making 58% of their
shots which gave them a great platform to win the game. Read more here.

Underdogs fight it out for semi spot

Expectations for both Serbia and Italy weren't huge
heading into EuroBasket Women 2013 and after a roller-coaster ride for
both, they find themselves a mere 40 minutes away from a semi-final
spot and booking their place at the FIBA World Championship for Women
next year. Read more here.

Here is schedule for
Quarterfinals, Day 1:

Serbia - Italy 85-79

Spain - Czech Republic 75-58

June 24, 2013 - Round 2, Day 6

Spain
shut down Turkey to Win group

Spain
are yet to taste defeat at Eurobasket Women 2013 after inflicting a
first loss on fellow medal candidate Turkey, via an impressive 61-48
win which guaranteed top spot in Group E as both teams head for the
quarter-finals in Orchies. With both nations having built their perfect
records on the foundation of imperious defence, it was hardly
surprising that not much came easy in the first half. Especially for
Turkey, who had a marathon drought in the second period, as Spain
extended the 15-10 advantage they had at the end of the first quarter.
The Spanish defence really locked down Turkey, with Sancho Lyttle
leading the way and when Alba Torrens followed up a couple of
free-throws with a fast break score, her team had doubled the tally of
their opponents at 24-12. Read more here.

Sweden seal last Quarter-Final spot

Sweden
took the last remaining quarter-final spot at EuroBasket Women 2013
courtesy of a hard-fought 75-72 win against the Slovak Republic who
will miss the last phase in Orchies, along with Montenegro. Having
started like an express train and accumulating a big lead, Sweden
almost came off the rails as the Slovak Republic showed great fighting
spirit to drag themselves back into the game. Sweden gave up 19
offensive rebounds and missed a lot of free throws which gave them
problems, although head coach Lars Johansson was still delighted at
taking a quarter-final spot. He said, "We started out really well, but
Slovakia never gave up and they made it a really difficult and tough
game. "Coaching is not as fun as watching, but I want to congratulate
my players - it is a big day for Swedish Basketball." Read more here.

Last Eight joy for triumphant Azzurre

Italy
celebrated reaching the quarter-finals of EuroBasket Women 2013 after
overturning a double-digit half-time deficit against Montenegro to rack
up a 60-66 success and leave the hopes of their opponents hanging by a
thread. In a pulsating and entertaining contest which had some big
momentum swings, the sharp-shooting Italians booked a somewhat shock
slot in the last eight. "We are happy because when we started together
last year, we didn't expect to get to this point," admitted Italian
play-caller Roberto Ricchini. "They scored 43 points in the first half
of the game, but we stared to be more aggressive. "We thought that
could cause them some problems with their shorter rotation and kept on
pushing to see if they would get tired more easily." Read more here.

Last day of Round 2 on EuroBasket Women in France.
Three more games today, at 14.00 CET Montenegro vs. Italy, 16.30 CET
Sweden vs. Slovak Republic and at 20.00 CET Spain vs. Turkey.

Here is schedule for Round 2, Day 6:

Montenegro - Italy 60-66

Sweden - Slovak Republic 75-72
Spain - Turkey 61-48

June 23, 2013 - Round 2, Day 5

France top Group F

France
beat Belarus 58-50 in Vendee on Sunday to take top spot in Group F and
remain unbeaten at EuroBasket Women. Sandrine Gruda led all scorers
with 18 points as she added shots from range to her dominant post game,
stretching Belarus' defence. France shot 51.1% from two-point range,
demonstrating the number of clear looks at the basket they were able to
create. Belarus were trailing by just four (35-31) when Yelena
Leuchanka picked up her fourth foul with 3.22 remaining in the third
quarter. The next time the center took to the floor, her team were 15
down at 49-34. Read more here.

Leedham takes Great Britain out on high

Great
Britain claimed fifth place in Group F in Vendee on Sunday with an
85-79 win over Croatia behind a near triple-double from Johannah
Leedham. Great Britain committed back-to-back turnovers to allow
Croatia to cut the lead to just two with five minutes remaining. But
Johannah Leedham, who was responsible for one of them, responded with a
strong drive to the basket and then a nice pass to Kim Butler to
stretch the lead to six. With the teams so close in all areas Leedham's
stat line of 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds was ultimately the
difference between the teams. Leedham topped Great Britain's stats in
all areas but she also came up with some big hustle plays at important
times. Read more here.

Serbia scrap their way to Final Eight

Serbia
are through to the quarter-finals of EuroBasket Women for the first
time in 10 years after holding off a late Czech Republic rally to take
a 75-59 second round win in Vendee. Serbia were gifted six straight
second quarter points from fouls of frustration. Two of these came from
a technical foul placed on Czech Republic Head Coach Lubor Blazek, not
only that, they came in the aftermath of a 14-0 Serbia run. Serbia led
by as many as 28 in the third quarter but the Czech Republic cut that
deficit to 11 at the midway point in the final period before Serbia
upped their intensity once more. Milica Dabovic led by example once
again. The energetic guard had 17 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals as
she covered every inch of the hardwood in pursuit of victory. Read more
here.

Today's programme starts at 14.00 CET with Czech
Republic vs. Serbia. Serbia did outstanding job in this Round 2 and
they are very close to next stage. At 16.30 CET, Great Briatain vs.
Croatia and at 20.00 CET Belarus vs. France.

Here is schedule for Round 2, Day 5:

Czech Republic - Serbia 59-75

Great Britain - Croatia 85-79
Belarus - France 50-58

June 22, 2013 - Round 2, Day 4

History
for Valdemoro, Lyttle shines

Flawless
Spain impressed again with a 66-50 victory against Montenegro, made
even more memorable by Amaya Valdemoro making history by becoming the
player with the most appearances for her country. She stepped out for
Spain for the 254th time to break the record, although her moment was
almost overshadowed by Lyttle, who was described as ‘unstoppable' by
Montenegro head coach Miodrag Baletic afterwards. It was another high
class performance by Lucas Mondelo's team, who continue to look
energised and hungry although the play-caller did not express much
satisfaction after the game, preferring to focus on Valdemoro. He said:
"We passed the ball very well and there were some good moments. We also
played very good defence. "But, we also had a lot of turnovers." He
continued, "today is a happy day for the team and for the Federation
because of Amaya Valdemoro. I don't want to say any more because it is
her day." Read more here.

Fab five from five for terrific Turkey

Classy
Turkey again underlined why they are serious contenders for the very
top of the EuroBasket Women 2013 podium after seeing off Sweden 72-51,
to leave the quarter-finals hopes of their opponents hanging in the
balance. Whilst the final margin was significant, the first half and
particularly the opening ten minutes were breathtaking, as Turkey tried
to assert their authority. A relentless tempo was accompanied by plenty
of aggressive action both on and off the ball and with some super plays
to savour, it was a perfect cocktail for the fans. In front of a near
packed house which contained huge support for both teams, the players
produced a stunning opening half in a wonderful advert for the women's
game. Read more here.

Italy keep campaign running

A
scorching start to the second half proved to be a launch-pad for Italy
to take a 58-47 second round win against a misfiring Slovak Republic,
as the Azzurre gave their EuroBasket Women 2013 quarter-final prospects
a real shot in the arm. With the contest tied at 20 after a real war of
attrition during the first half, Slovak Republic came back onto the
floor after the break, but left their game in the locker room. Italy
took full advantage with a devastating 18-4 spurt of scoring and
Slovakia couldn't recover. A total of 26 turnovers was a particularly
disastrous statistic for Slovak Republic. Giorgia Sottana top scored
with 22 points, but it was her backcourt colleagues who gave valuable
support, with two essential cameo contributions from Giulia Gatti and
Francesca Dotto. Read more here.

There were not much surprises in Day 3 of Round 2 on
EuroBasket Women. Serbia wins over France, Belarus wins over Great
Britain and France topped Czech Republic. At today's programme, at
14.00 CET Italy vs. Slovak Republic, 16.30 CET Turkey vs. Sweden, and
20.00 CET Montengero vs. Spain.

Here is schedule for
Round 2, Day 4:

Italy - Slovak Republic 58-47

Turkey - Sweden 72-51
Montenegro - Spain 50-66

June 21, 2013 - Round 2, Day 3Gruda goes for a
double-double

France
further asserted their dominance over Group F with a 64-49 defeat of
fellow quarter-finalists the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic made a
run at the French in the final quarter and cut the lead to seven. But
the re-introduction of Sandrine Gruda, six minutes from the end, saw
the hosts wrestle back control. France pulled down 17 offensive
rebounds, dwarfing the Czech Republic's total of four. Not only did
this give the hosts a huge advantage in terms of second - and in some
cases third or fourth - chance points, but it was mentally draining for
their opponents having to defend for long stretches. France made the
paint their own again and much of that was down to Sandrine Gruda. The
25-year-old had 21 points and 10 rebounds, holding off the challenge of
the Czech Republic's powerful frontcourt. Read more here.

Belarus book place in Last Eight

Belarus
made it to the final eight of EuroBasket Women with a 71-61 win over
Great Britain, who now require other results to go their way if they
are to progress. With four minutes remaining, Natallia Anufryienka beat
the shot clock buzzer on a broken play before Anastasiya Verameyenka
and Aliaksandra Tarasava hit back-to-back threes to give Belarus a
nine-point lead. Statistically, the teams were close across the board
but Belarus stepped it up in the last quarter and outscored Great
Britain 28-15 in fourth quarter. Katsiaryna Snytsina scored 15 points
including a hat-trick of three-pointers to power Belarus to victory.
Read more here.

Croatia crash out

Croatia
were eliminated from EuroBasket Women after a 77-64 defeat to a
defensively solid Serbia who led from start to finish. Ana Dabovic had
been Serbia's star until a knee injury suffered in the second quarter
was aggravated to the point where she couldn't continue in the third.
This could have served as the spark Croatia needed but Serbia showed
great resilience to respond. Croatia committed 23 turnovers leading to
26 of Serbia's points, due in no small part to the high intensity of
Serbia's full court press. Jelena Milovanovic stepped up and hit a
couple of big shots in the moments following Ana Dabovic's injury to
steady the ship at a point when Serbia seemed most vulnerable. Read
more here.

Day 3 in Round 2 on EuroBasket Women will bring us three great games on
today.' programme. At 14.00 CET, clash between Serbia and Croatia.
16.30 CET Great Britain and Belarus, and last game today, at 20.00 CEZ,
France vs. Czech Republic.

Here is schedule for
Round 2, Day 3:

Croatia - Serbia 64-77

Great Britain - Belarus 61-71
France - Czech Republic 64-49

June 20, 2013 - Round 2, Day 2

Turkey
don't skip a beat, flatten Italy

Turkey
booked their quarter-final spot at EuroBasket Women 2013 as they
cranked up their defence and shot the lights out from downtown to
breeze past Italy 66-46. The win not only confirms their spot in the
quarter-finals, but also that of Spain who thumped the Slovak Republic
80-44 earlier in the night.
Not missing a beat since they were stationed in Vannes, Ceyhun
Yildizoglu and his team continue to look like a dominant defensive unit
which will take some breaking down. Despite the final winning margin,
Italy had done a good job hanging with Turkey during an entertaining
first half, but imploded after the break. They had managed to hang onto
the shirt-tails of Turkey despite an early bombardment from three-point
range, with Kathrin Ress dropping a triple of her own for the Italians
to make it a one-shot game at 32-29. Read more here.

Swedish aggression silences Montenegro

A
re-energised Sweden re-discovered their aggressive streak to overcome
Montenegro 69-58 in a bruising second round encounter at EuroBasket
Women 2013 in Lille. Lars Johansson had his players back on track right
from the outset and looking hungry for the victory. Barthold epitomised
the feisty Swedish approach as she hustled for precious rebounds and
spent most of the game in the personal space of Dubljevic. It worked a
treat and Johansson paid tribute to the work of his forward afterwards.
He said, "Anna had a great game on defence and rebounding. I am not
surprised, I have seen her for so many years doing this and I am very
happy about it." As for Dubljevic, she was still seething with the
defeat at the media conference afterwards and confessed, "I hate to
lose and I am in a horrible mood now." Read more here.

Sizzling Spain saunter past Slovakia

Still
looking like a team steadfastly focused on wreaking havoc against
anyone they meet, Spain followed up their demolition of Sweden with
another powerful performance which should make their rivals sit up and
take notice. Whilst they were expected to beat Slovakia comfortably,
they showed no mercy in a rampant first-half when they headed to the
locker rooms having doubled the score of their opponents at 44-22. Too
hot to handle inside and with Marta Xargay dropping three-pointers,
Slovakia couldn't stem the red tide which rolled relentlessly toward
their basket. Head coach Ivan Vojtko admitted it was his teams' most
inept display since landing in France. He said, "It was our worst game
because for the first time, we were bad on defence as well as offence.
"We are very disappointed. It was a bad game."Read
more here.

Yesterday Serbia surprised Belarus and proved that
there are no underdogs in this second phase. We will see if there will
be another more surprises in today's games.

Here is schedule for
Round 2, Day 2:

Slovak Republic - Spain 44-80

Sweden - Montenegro 69-58
Italy - Turkey 46-66

June 19, 2013 - Round 2, Day 1

Brave
Croatia fall to France

This
game was over as early as midway through the first quarter when a 12-0
run saw France storm into a 16-2 lead although Croatia did their best
to come back into it late on. France came out on top in all areas but
were particularly dominant on the boards where they pulled down 46
compared to Croatia's 35. Once again there were a host of players who
could claim this tag. But Edwige Lawson-Wade made and finished some of
the best plays of the night and kept up the intensity when Celine
Dumerc got her rest. France carried their winning momentum into the
second round of EuroBasket Women with a 78-70 win despite a spirited
fight-back from Croatia. Read more here.

Serbia shock Belarus

In
the closing minutes of the third quarter Serbia hit three consecutive
three-pointers to take the first double-digit lead of the game. Only
three players, Tamara Radocaj, Milica Dabovic and Ana Dabovic, had
scored for Serbia until the 26th minute of play, as Serbia executed
their low-scoring gameplan to perfection. Ana Dabovic made a
contribution in all areas with 13 points, six rebounds, five assists
and three steals - but more importantly she set the tone and tempo for
her team. Serbia stifled Belarus with a slow tempo before pulling away
for a 54-48 EuroBasket Women Group F win in Vendespace. Read more here.

Czech Republic rampant from range

Katerina
Elhotova and Katerina Bartonova connected on back-to-back
three-pointers to stretch the Czech Republic's lead from five to 11
with two minutes remaining in the third quarter, when Great Britain
were in the ascendency. Great Britain's slow rotations on defence
gifted the Czech Republic open looks from three, and they hit nine of
their 17 attempts compared to the Brits' 3-of-15. Tereza Pecková hit
her first three three-point shots and made a big block to prevent the
Czech Republic from slipping behind early on. She also provided a
presence inside throughout and pulled down six rebounds. The Czech
Republic were powered to a 66-55 win over Great Britain on the back of
some precision three-point shooting in the EuroBasket Women Group F
opener. Read more here.

Here is schedule for
Round 2, Day 1:

Czech Republic - Great Britain 66-55

Serbia - Belarus 54-48
Croatia - France 70-78

June 18, 2013 - Round 1 is over,
Round 2 is ready to start

12 teams qualified to Round 2 after great games in
Round 1. These 12 teams are now divided into two Groups, E and F.
Tomorrow, June 19, three games will be played in Group F, in Vendespace.
In this Round 2 stage, games are scheduled for 14.00
CET, 16.30 CET and 20.00 CET.You may also Watch ALL
GAMES LIVE in Round 2 here.

Group
E

Group
F

Spain

France

Turkey

Belarus

Montengro

Czech
Republic

Italy

Great
Britain

Sweden

Croatia

Slovak
Republic

Serbia

June 17, 2013 - Day 3

Les
Bleues breeze by Brits

France
finished the first group stage with a flawless record following a
comfortable 79-47 victory over Great Britain in Trelaze. It was the
turn of Isabelle Yacoubou to be the French star that shone brightest.
The center was responsible for nine of France's rebounds that were so
key to the margin of victory and also finished with a team-high 11
points. France battered the Brits down low, racking up an incredible 54
points in the paint to their opponents' 12. The home crowd is a huge
factor for this French team and Emilie Gomis got them on side in the
second quarter when she bounced back from a painful-looking fall to
produce a brave drive to basket and score on the next play. Read more here.

Stunned Champs out, Italy progress

The
reign of Russia as EuroBasket Women champions will soon be over after
they were dumped out of the tournament in the wake of Spain routing
Sweden 73-49 as the curtain fell on first round action in Vannes.
However the win for Spain triggered celebrations for Italy whose
nervous wait for confirmation of a Round 2 place ended with a ticket
for Lille. Russia must now deal with the reality of not only giving up
their EuroBasket Women crown, but also missing the FIBA 2014 World
Championship in Turkey next year. Sancho Lyttle didn't have her
greatest shooting night but finished with another double-double, this
time landing 17 points and 17 rebounds. Read more here.

Russia and Italy have to sweat It out

Defending
champions Russia collected their first win at EuroBasket Women 2013
with a 72-66 victory against Italy, but both sides have been left
sweating on their fate as they await the outcome of the last Group B
game. With their destiny to be decided by Spain and Sweden who had both
already taken their place in Round 2, the Russian players were left to
cheer for a Swedish success, whilst Italy needed Spain to prevail.
Unsurprisingly, experienced Italian forward Raffaella Masciadri was
anticipating a long couple of hours wait for Round 1 to be completed.
She said, "It was a tough game and we tried to do the best we could.
"We wanted to put pressure on their point guards, but we let them score
too many three-pointers. "On the other hand, we played smart but we
just missed too many easy shots. Read more here.

Czech Republic set up for Second Stage

Croatia
only led for a total of three-and-a-half minutes, all in the first
quarter, before a mini-burst gave the Czech Republic a lead they never
looked like giving up. The Czech Republic hit three of their first five
three-point attempts to close out the opening period with the lead.
Katerina Hindrakova produced her best performance of this, her first
senior championships, scoring 17 points on eight-of-nine shooting. The
Czech Republic strengthened their position going into the second round
of EuroBasket Women with a 74-68 over Group D rivals Croatia. Read more
here.

Serbia seal Second Round spot

Serbia
snatched Group C's last spot in the second round with a 62-56 win over
Latvia after a scrappy contest in Trelaze. Once again Jelena
Milovanovic carried the bulk of the scoring responsibility for Serbia.
The forward top-scored with a team-high 15 points including nine of her
10 free throws, many of which came down the stretch. Latvia missed all
17 of their three-point attempts after hitting their first one in the
opening period. Ivanka Matic pulled down a big offensive rebound before
laying in at the second attempt despite being fouled. Matic then
converted the extra free throw and Nevena Jovanovic added another two
on the fast break moments later to stretch Serbia's lead to five
(55-50) with four minutes to play. Read more here.

Turkey take Top slot in Group A

Unbeaten
Turkey wrapped up their involvement in the first phase of EuroBasket
Women 2013 with a comfortable 66-48 success against Slovak Republic to
confirm their status as Group A winners and take two wins to the second
round in Lille. Turkey had ten different scorers in the game and all
twelve players gained court time which continued to highlight their
depth and options at their disposal. There were no big-time individual
displays in a true team performance by Turkey. However, both Bahar
Caglar and Tugba Palazaoglu were a very tidy five of eight from the
field. Read more here.

Montenegro advance and Ukraine go home

A
dazzling 29-point display by Jelena Dubljevic catapulted Montenegro to
a 72-60 Group B success against Ukraine and safely into the second
round of EuroBasket Women 2013 in Lille. There was also a cheer from
Slovak Republic, since the result also confirmed their place in the
second phase. Montenegro head coach Miodrag Baletic was content after
his team secured their spot, having also responded to defeat to Turkey
on day two. He said, "It was an important victory for us, but
especially because of our dedication and smart offensive game."
However, Ukraine head to the airport for a flight home after a third
double-digit defeat in as many days - although head coach Vadim
Czeczuro refused to criticise his players for failing to pick up a win.
"Today we played against a very strong and experienced team," insisted
the play-caller.

Lithuania lift their mood

With
under four minutes to play in the final quarter, Monika Grigalauskyte
and Gabriele Gutkauskaite connected on back-to-back three pointers to
give Lithuania a 62-61 lead and with it, the momentum. Aliaksandra
Tarasava was the only one of Belarus's starters to play more than 10
minutes, and that was only because her deputy Natallia Anufryienka
found early foul trouble. Gabriele Gutkauskaite scored a team-high 15
points but more importantly hit the go-ahead three-pointer in the
fourth quarter. Already-eliminated Lithuania restored some pride with
an encouraging 72-67 win over Group D winners Belarus in their final
game at EuroBasket Women 2013. Read more here.

Game
of the Day: Latvia vs. Serbia

It
is ‘win or go home' for Serbia and Latvia on day three of EuroBasket
Women after both sides tasted defeat in their first two games. Latvia
really struggled to contain Great Britain in the paint and on the
boards leading to 69-56 reverse while Serbia couldn't get close to the
hosts France, eventually falling 76-32. Latvia's Liene Jansone has not
had much help in holding the opposition frontcourt in the opening two
games while also shouldering much of the load on offence. She has
performed admirably in such a demanding role and it will be interesting
to see who prevails in the tussle with her Serbian opposite number
Jelena Milovanovic, who fills a similar role on both ends of the floor.
Read more here.

Sweden
were outstanding in the third period and turned the game on its' head,
claiming the frame 19-7. So maybe the turning point came in the locker
room via Coach Lars Johansson as they looked like a team possessed and
on a serious mission after the interval. Russia shot 25.4% - it rarely
gets much worse offensively than that. They missed a staggering 50
shots in the game and were 17-of-67. Sweden pulled down 33 defensive
rebounds to match their opponent in the paint and it was essential to
take the win. It was a team performance but Louice Halvarsson got a
double-double of 10 points and ten rebounds. She also played physically
and made up for sitting down most of day one because of foul trouble.
Read more here.

France’s flying start continues

France
were already leading by 17 when Celine Dumerc hit three-pointers on
back-to-back possessions late in the second quarter but it lifted the
crowd and deflated the Serbian team in equal measure. France led the
way in all departments but really made Serbia pay for their mistakes,
scoring 28 points from turnovers. French favourite Celine Dumerc has
officially arrived at EuroBasket Women. The point guard served
primarily as a facilitator on day one but shot the ball more in this
one, including two-from-three on long-range attempts, for 10 points in
less than 19 minutes - to the delight of the home fans.

Czech Republic bounce back

Veronika
Bortelová banked in a three-pointer then followed it up with two strong
drives to the basket to score seven straight points in a crucial 13-0
run in the second quarter. Lithuania committed 30 turnovers and it is
always going to be tough for any team to win a game when they give the
ball away that often. Center Ilona Burgrová scored 13 points and won
the all-important battle in the paint against a Lithuanian frontcourt
that impressed on day one. The Czech Republic rebounded from their day
one defeat to cruise to a 70-49 victory over Lithuania in EuroBasket
Women Group D. Read more here.

2nd Spanish win secures Round 2 slot

It
was a one-shot game at 19-16, but as soon as Elisa Aguilar dropped
successive three-pointers, the stable door was wide open as far as
Italy were concerned - even if they did play impressively hard until
the final buzzer and at one stage got back to within six points. Italy
had very few easy scores and only had eight foul shots in forty
minutes. Meanwhile the Spanish frontcourt did a good job containing
Kathrin Ress, the star of Italy's opening win - limiting her to 27.3%
floor shooting. Sancho Lyttle was in great form and finished with a
double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds. Read more here.

Two from two for Great Britain

Kim
Butler hit a huge turnaround three-pointer to beat the shot-clock
buzzer at the end of the third quarter. This sent Great Britain into
the final period holding a five-point lead when it had looked like
Latvia would seize the initiative. Great Britain dominated on the
boards, pulling down 20 offensive rebounds to Latvia's seven. The
impact of this was reflected in a 16-point difference in terms of
second chance points. Kim Butler led by example scoring 14 points,
including that crucial three, while also collecting nine rebounds. Read
more here.

Turkey punches ticket for Second Phase

After
a miserable opening quarter which had seen Turkey trailing 15-2, they
arose from their slumber in the second quarter and finished the period
with the last 11 points. This established a foothold in the game and
gave them the platform required for an excellent third quarter. There
is depth and a real quality rotation for Turkey which is credit to head
coach Ceyhun Yildizoglu. He had the confidence and trust to hand no
fewer than nine players more than 15 minutes in the game - despite a
tough opponent and tough situation. A trio of guards got the job done
for the winning team. Tugba Palazoglu and Esmeral Tuncluer shared four
triples and 24 points, whilst Birsel Vardarli had seven assists
including a memorable behind-the-back pass. Read more here.

Significant step forward for Slovakia

Lucia
Kupcikova showed why she is the leader for Slovak Republic after making
a beautiful little one-handed score in the lane under real pressure, to
make it 75-68 with a couple of minutes left to effectively seal the
deal for her team. Giving up a pitiful 14 offensive rebounds epitomised
the lack of any inside presence defensively for the soft centred
Ukrainians although injuries to their frontcourt did provide some
mitigation. An eye-watering 24 turnovers didn't help the Ukraine cause
either.Kupcikova
was outstanding not only with the intangibles, but also because she
finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and six steals. Klaudia
Lukacovicova was also very impressive after harvesting 23 points and
missing out on a double-double by a solitary rebound.Read
more here.
Belarus secure second victory

Tatsiana
Likhtarovich's eight third-quarter points helped spark a 10-0 run that
swung the contest in Belarus's favour. There were 11 lead changes and
the scores were tied eight times tied before the decisive run,
illustrating the importance of that sequence. The game was won in the
paint and Yelena Leuchanka was a big part of the reason for that,
pulling down 12 rebounds to go with 13 points. Some powerful play in
the paint saw Belarus seal their place in the second phase of
EuroBasket Women with a 57-43 win over Croatia in Trelaze. Read more here.

Game of the Day: Turkey vs. Montenegro

With
both teams off to a winning start in Vannes and tipped to contest top
spot in Group A, something has to give when the favourites engage on
day two. Turkey looked imperious as they crushed Ukraine 78-52, whilst
Montenegro shrugged off an uninspiring first 20 minutes against the
Slovak Republic to eventually coast to a 77-63 win. Jelena Skerovic
played 40 minutes orchestrating affairs at point guard for Montenegro
in the opener, but may find it more labouring against the intensity and
quickness of the Turkish guards. Read more here.

After Russia came storming back
from 18 points behind to make it a one-shot game with 26 seconds left
to play, Sancho Lyttle missed two-free throws. But, she made almost
instant amends by sinking her next pair to make it a two-shot game at
74-70 which proved decisive. Both teams had 18 turnovers, something
which may be an area for improvement for both head coaches. Valdemoro
rolled back the years with a vintage display in terms of her energy and
all-round influence which fuelled Spain's best early work. However,
Alba Torrens stole the show, looking somewhere near her fabulous and
vibrant best with 30 points as well as one particularly spectacular
blocked shot. Read more here.

Hosts hammer Latvia

This result was never in doubt but
France's 11-0 run at the end of the first and beginning of the second
quarter really crushed any remaining Latvian resistance as it came when
many of France's starters were on the bench. Celine Dumerc only scored
one point, highlighting the fact that this is far from a one-woman
show. Most of France's players were operating on a different level to
their opponents but Isabelle Yacoubou typified this, dominating the
paint, showing great touch under the basket and getting the fans off
their feet with some big blocks. Read more here.

Czech Republic suffer double despair

It may only have been
three minutes
into the contest but Jana Vesela's painful-looking injury instantly
sapped the spirit from the Czech Republic, who were already 6-0 down.
Belarus big Anastasiya Verameyenka blocked five shots and even when she
didn't get a hand on the ball, forced her opponents to adjust their
shots and think twice about driving to the basket. Aliaksandra Tarasava
didn't fill the stat sheet but she made a crucial steal and scored from
the ensuing fast break to curtail the Czech Republic's biggest
resurgence, and appeared in control throughout. Read more here.

Red hot Turkey tame tepid Ukraine

There wasn't one since
Ukraine had to start well if they wanted to cause an upset, but were
outscored 16-4 by Turkey in a disjointed and erratic start to their
tournament. It was a real team effort by Turkey as Ukraine struggled to
cope with the offensive tide - something perfectly highlighted by
Turkey having nine different scorers by the midway point of the game
and 24 assists by the final buzzer - double that of the Ukrainians.
Point guard Isil Alben started ahead of Birsel Vardarli and repaid that
faith by conjuring seven assists, five rebounds and four steals. Read
more here.

Azzurre clinch win, spoil Swedish party

Italy took a valuable
step towards the second round of EuroBasket Women 2013 after they rode
out 64-63 winners in a pulsating and dramatic Group B match-up against
Sweden. Back after a 26-year-absence, Sweden were ultimately left
heartbroken and reflecting on what might have been, as Italy came up
with a big defensive play in the last second of the contest to deny
Frida Eldebrink what would have been a winning basket. Eldebrink had
just missed one of two free-throws only moments earlier, but just
couldn't convert at the hoop under heavy pressure. Read more here.

Fourth quarter gets Croatia home

Croatia had
held the
lead for less than three minutes of the game prior to the final quarter
but took control with a 15-4 run to open the period. Croatia got 25 of
their points from fast breaks, 18 more than Lithuania. Not only did Iva
Sliskovic top score with 19 points, the forward/center also stood up
well to Lithuania's powerful frontcourt, which dominated in the early
stages. Croatia started slowly before eventually cantering to a 89-77
win over Lithuania in their first game of EuroBasket Women 2013. Read
more here.

Montenegro ease to opening Win

With the game finely
poised, Montenegro found some offensive rhythm during the third quarter
and made a 10-0 scoring run to take control at 59-50 and did not look
back. Montenegro made a lot of points the easiest way of all - from the
free-throw line. They made 25-of-30 foul shots. Jelena Dubljevic has
had back problems this year, but looked sprightly as she finished with
20 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Montenegro produced a
dominant second-half performance to ease their way to a 77-63 success
against Slovak Republic and open their account in EuroBasket Women
Group A. Read more here.

Late revival sees Great Britain win

Rachel Vanderwal's three-pointer with just over
three minutes remaining not only gave Great Britain the lead but the
belief they could go on and win. Great Britain's 15-6 run to start the
final quarter saw them erase Serbia's lead, as a number of players made
big plays when it mattered. Stephanie Gandy came in and scored some
crucial points off the bench. The forward scored 13 with less than 18
minutes of play but most importantly they came during Great Britain's
decisive comeback run. Read more here.

June 14, 2013 - EuroBasket Women
2013 Preview

Tomorrow, Saturday, June 15, will start EuroBasket
Women 2013. This year, France will host this Basketball tournament in
Women competitions. Since this is one of the biggest Basketball events
in this year, I am sure that most of Basketball fans, especially
Women’s Basketball fans really looking forward for this tournament to
start.

16 teams will fight for EuroBasket Women 2013 trophy, and they are
divided in four groups.